European Solar Physics Online Seminar Archive

The physical conditions resulting in the formation and disappearance of penumbral regions are poorly understood. We investigated these conditions by using high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations of a sunspot penumbra from different instruments at ground- and space-based telescopes, namely the SST/CRISP, SDO/HMI, and Hinode/SP. The studied data allowed us to assess the evolution of the magnetic and velocity properties of plasma in the observed region and to analyze the role of several processes found therein. The penumbra forms only on one side of the observed region, characterized by the absence of an overlying magnetic canopy. The penumbra later disappears progressively in time and space. This final evolution of the studied region seems to be governed by the presence of moving magnetic features (MMFs) and of overlying canopies. [more]

Observational precursors of large solar flares provide a basis for future operational systems for forecasting. We studied the evolution of the normalized emergence (EM), shearing (SH), and total (T) magnetic helicity flux components for 14 flaring (with at least one X-class flare) and 14 nonflaring (<M5-class flares) active regions (ARs) using the Space-weather Helioseismic Magnetic Imager Active Region Patches vector magnetic field data. Each of the selected ARs contain a δ-type spot. The three helicity components of these ARs were analyzed using wavelet analysis. Localized peaks of the wavelet power spectrum (WPS) were identified and statistically investigated. We find that (i) the probability density function of the identified WPS peaks for all the EM/SH/T profiles can be fitted with a set of Gaussian functions centered at distinct periods between ∼3 and 20 hr. (ii) There is a noticeable difference in the distribution of periods found in the EM profiles between the flaring and nonflaring ARs, while no significant difference is found in the SH and T profiles. (iii) In flaring ARs, the distributions of the shorter EM/SH/T periods (<10 hr) split up into two groups after flares, while the longer periods (>10 hr) do not change. (iv) When the EM periodicity does not contain harmonics, the ARs do not host a large energetic flare. (v) Finally, significant power at long periods (∼20 hr) in the T and EM components may serve as a precursor for large energetic flares. [more]

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